Fashion Education Profile: School of the Art Institute of Chicago

School Name: School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)

Unique Facts: Each spring, an annual fashion presentation exhibits student designed and created work, worn by professional models and shown to the public, industry, and the press.

Notable Alumni: Halston, Gemma Kahng, Cynthia Rowley.

School History: Founded as the Chicago Academy of Design in 1866 by a collective of studio artists, the institution went through many changes before the turn of the century, some necessitated by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The collecting arm of the School was founded in 1872, and The Art Institute of Chicago was born in 1882 to accommodate a distinct museum and school. The Art Institute moved to its current iconic location on Michigan Avenue after the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, and it remains the largest museum-school partnership in the country.